The U.S. Department of State has launched a new Fish Innovation Lab led by Mississippi State University’s (MSU) Global Center for Aquatic Health and Food Security (GCAHFS).
Starting with USD 8 million (EUR 7.2 million) in federal funding for the first year of the five-year award, the lab will focus on developing and scaling research-based solutions for improving aquatic food systems.
"This new award allows us to build on what worked in the previous Fish Innovation Lab while putting even greater emphasis on moving research into use," Fish Innovation Lab Director Mark Lawrence said in a release. "We want to develop practical technologies that producers and businesses will adopt, create opportunities for U.S. companies in growing international markets, and address threats such as aquatic animal diseases before they reach American production systems."
The lab will focus its efforts on two main objectives: improving sustainable management and production and getting nutritious aquatic foods to more families. Research that falls into the first category includes improved feeds, genetics, animal health, and technology, while the second category includes improving food safety, reducing food loss and waste, strengthening markets, and expanding access to affordable foods.
The Fish Innovation Lab is one of eight university-led labs focused on food challenges announced by the State Department.
“Today, the State Department announced eight Feed the Future Innovation Labs in partnership with U.S. Land Grant Universities from around the country. The Labs put American researchers to work on global threats to agriculture that do not stop at the border, such as crop pests, livestock disease, and depleted soils before they reach U.S. farms and grocery shelves, delivering direct returns for American taxpayers,” the department said in its announcement. “The track record is proven. Investment in U.S. university-led international agricultural research returns USD 8.00 [EUR 7.16] for every USD 1.00 [EUR 0.89] invested. This helps keep American universities at the forefront of agricultural science and trains the next generation of researchers across the United States.
The previous Fish Innovation Lab ran for a seven-year period from 2018 through 2025 and supported 30 multidisciplinary research activities across 10 countries with more than 50 institutional partners.
